Hard to find good banners these days.

[Cozy Monica]

I am so tired of trying to find decent banners to promote sponsor programs with.

They always have plenty of 468x72 and 468x80, but most surfers ignore banners that short.

Why is it so hard to find 468x100 or 468x150, and what about 500x80?

And then my second beef is that there are still so many sponsors only offering the usual hardcore banners, and with 2557 in mind, I will only use softcore (nudity only).

While most sponsors will provide custom banners, they are often substandard and thrown together.

And that's the third issue with most banners.. they just aren't designed to pull the clicks.

[balls_deep]

sounds like you have some banners to create monica.

[jonnydoe]

I agree with you Monica and I am trying to learn to make my own animated gif banners...even if they are simple they are unique. Why do we still use 468 wide banners...that is from a decade ago. Banners if horizontal should be around 750 in my opinion...

[Lana]

I just converted everyone on my links page to text. It looks nicer and a little more modern.
I had reams of 468x60's just polluting that page.

[Cozy Monica]

But I shouldn't have to create the banners! *pout*

And I agree that much longer banners do much better...

but sometimes I need a banner that is about 468 - 500 wide, so then I find they still do well if they are taller, like 100+ pixels.

Lana, good for you!

[Lana]

Monica, you're being lazy. Two seconds in PS

[Hammer]

Exactly why I make my own banners most of the time.

Lann, you might want to take a few more seconds.

[Hyballs]

Hi CM, I know how you feel. I don't see that it's my job to create banners, but maybe I'll be forced to if I want something in the right size.

[balls_deep]

I create all my own banners, well at least my own site's banners. Is using your own content to create a better banner for a sponsor that big of deal? I always thought that was just part of doing business.

[Hammer]

Originally posted by Hyballs
Hi CM, I know how you feel. I don't see that it's my job to create banners, but maybe I'll be forced to if I want something in the right size.

Here's the way I look at it. Yes, if you are a real adult webmaster, it is your job. Sponsors provide banners for newbies that don't know what they're doing and hundreds or maybe thousands of webmasters are using the same banners. Any webmaster that is raking in the money makes his/her own banners to stand out from the crowd.

Nowadays, with 2257 being an issue even with banners, I think it makes sense to control the situation and make your own banners anyway. Just because a sponsor's banner appears to be softcore doesn't mean it is 2257 compliant. Remember, a cropped hardcore photo is still a hardcore photo in the eyes of the law. When you look at a sponsor's banner and see a hot babe with a sexy look from the waist up, do you know for a fact that someone isn't giving her oral sex in the original photo?

[Cozy Monica]

The reason I dislike making banners is because I find it difficult to make designs that match the look and feel of the site.

I really feel that banners should be like business cards. They should reflect the business they represent. The banners should match the webpage in look and feel.

I don't mind making some banners but I honestly believe that making good banners is part of the job of the sponsor. If they want me to promote their program, they should provide a variety of advertising materials.

Who is going to know better than the sponsor which of their banner designs pulls the best clicks? I don't have time to fiddle and tweak a banner a hundred times, when they can easily look at their global stats and see what is working better than I can.

At the very least, the materials they DO provide should be 2257 safe, as in they should provide lots of softcore advertising materials.

[Hammer]

So you think it's a good idea to use the same banner on your site that 2,000 other webmasters are using on their sites?

[Hyballs]

Hi Hammer, In answer to your last Q, No. You present a very compelling arguement that's persuasive & logical but I see it from 3 points of view a/ For me it's quick and easy to use the sponsor banners and b/ Banners are not held in high esteam by surfers and should not be our main focus in attracting attention to our sponsors. c/ I have not yet mastered the art of creating appealing scenarios that I can use to create my own banners.

So, as I said before I think it's the sponsors responsability to provide a range of banners, but the reality is that for my diabolical plan to work, thats the plan where I become a super duppa adult webmaster like you, I have to be flexible and adapt to the challenges that I face.

Maybe in 3 months or 6 or 12 I will change my mind & agree with you 100%. But right now banners are not my main focus and I will take whatever I can get that's "ready to go"!

[Hammer]

I understand what you're saying Hyballs, but you're explaining the exact reason that most newbies fail in this business. They think it should be easy and they 'expect' the sponsor to do most of the work for them so all they have to do is slap up their banners and get rich.

As you know by now, it doesn't work that way. So, you can continue trying to succeed with sponsor banners that have already been seen on other sites before they even get to yours, or you can learn how to build some decent banners. The other option is to pay a good banner designer for some and they usually run $15 to $25 so they sure as hell aren't expensive, but that brings up the other reason so many newbies fail in this business. They don't think they should have to spend any money.

[doc538]

Oh Shucks! I thought it was going to be that easy, just upload a bunch of banners and wait at the mail box for the checks! Just goes to show what a newby knows..

[Hyballs]

Hi Hammer, I never thought about getting someone to design them for me! Thats the perfect solution!

As for easy, I guess some people expect it. I don't, but I'll take it when I can get it! I won't cry if it's taken away, won't whinge too much about it. Lifes about finding solutions to problems and I will work on this bastard till I get the problems solved.

As for not spending money. I can see that what you say is perfectly true. From my point of view which is based on running bricks & mortar businesses I know that there is no such thing as a free lunch.

At the moment I am being careful with my cash, but once I have a better understanding of how this thing works it will be different.

If you combine my cautious nature with the wise words of Titmowse, thats where I am right now! Learning carefully.....or is that carefully learning!

[Hammer]

Anytime any of you need some very good banners done, let me know. I have a designer that will do 4 kick ass animated banners for $100.